The Vision

The Ringing Cedars of Russia Series contains 9 books at this time. More are being written as the vision evolves.

The basic story line is that a middle aged Entrepreneur ,Vladamir Megre, from Russia was chosen to meet a unique woman named Anastasia. Anastasia is the descendant of a long line of forest dwellers in the Tiaga in Russia.

Anastasia’s culture of people lives in the forest following a very natural and integrated way of living. They are able to communicate with the flora and fauna around them and live in harmony with the environment.

In some ways the idea of communication with flora and fauna might seem incredible. It did to me at fist. Now I realize it is similar to us talking to our pets and houseplants and how we start to recognize what certain signs (communications) mean. We know that a certain bark means there is someone we know coming to the door, and a particular whine that means, “Can I have that treat now? “We know that yellow around the edges of the leaves means the plant needs more nitrogen in the soil and that a burnt leaf means we should mist after the sun has past the window.

Anastasia chose to bring Vladamir into her forest glade and to share her way of life and knowing with him. She shared many aspects of her way of understanding life that were new and challenging for Vladamir to understand.

As Vladamir took the experience, thought about it, felt about it and eventually wrote about it, he came to realize that what Anastasia was offering was a vision that could create a healthy environment for his children, grandchildren and the planet.

Some of the aspects of the vision that I resonate with are:

The Right Relationship with Each Other Every person deserves and needs some space and time all to themselves. Time to contemplate, to freely explore emotions, thoughts, concepts and ideas. When making an important decision, Anastasia believes we need at least 9 days of purity. During those nine days were are exposed only to natural sounds, sights, smells, and tastes. During that time we will be able to reset our ability to contemplate through our own essence.

In Anastasia’s culture, when someone is in deep thought, it is important to give them the space and time to complete the thought. It is best to approach within a respectful boundary and simply wait to be acknowledged. This is especially practiced with children.

When communicating with another person, it is important to take responsibility for making ones message understandable by the listener. Language use if very important and words are used to invoke images and feelings that are congruent with the message the speaker wishes to impart.

Each individual has the responsibility to think and contemplate for themselves to come to conclusions. It is important to also be open to new sources of information to be able to adjust conclusions when it is appropriate.

The Right Relationship with our Environment

Anastasia sleeps in a dug out cave-like space where she has dry grasses laid for comfort. She has acclimated her body to her region and needs very little clothing. The forest glade is her living space. She has learned all about the plants in her region and simply nibbles on nuts, berries, and herbs throughout the day. Much like we might train our dog to bring our slippers or newspaper, the squirrels in Anastasia’s glade have been trained to bring her nuts. All things in her environment add to the health and well-being of her, the animals and the earth that feeds her.

While Anastasia has been raised in the forest and feels very comfortable there, most folks are a bit more domesticated. These folks can still be aware of their impact on environment and make sure that their choices are nurturing ones. If you live in a modern house and are going to get carpeting, look into natural fiber carpeting. Look into natural insulation materials. Explore using linseed oil to treat the wood on the outside of your home instead of petroleum based products. Use terracotta roofing tiles instead of ones that pollute as they break down. All clothing can be made of natural fibers. All food can be gained from organic sources. We can clean up the space where we live instead of moving into the forest if that is a better fit for us.

We can clean up our water, our air, our fields where food is grown for us.

For other folks who are ready to live as close to the earth as building codes will allow, we can create cob housing, straw bale, stone or rough cut logs. We can use approved composting toilets and the most natural and minimal materials that law will allow.

Folks can gather together with others of their same comfort level to work toward creating the vision and form settlements.

The Right Relationship with Food:

Much of our current food is nutrient deficient and toxic. Most sources are grown in depleted soil. Synthetic nitrogen and fertilizers are applied as well as applications of poison for weeds and insects. All of these applications are toxic to the human body, the soil, the water and the air. Foods that have been prepared, canned, frozen, and precooked, are frequently treated with chemical preservatives that are toxic to the human body, the soil, the water and the air. Our animal food sources frequently live in substandard conditions and are fed foods that are not natural to their diet. The animals are frequently ill and are treated with antibiotics and other medications which are toxic in order to keep them alive. The Omnivore’s Dilemma is a book containing the information on our current food situation. The end of the book recommends that we grow our own food and then create cooperatives with local farmers for foods we are not able to grow.

Anastasia eats the wild foods that grow naturally where she lives. She does not put effort into raising crops. Once again, most of us are not at this stage of development. However, every one of us could start to grow a bit of our own food. We can plant some herbs in the window, a fruit tree in the yard, some berries along the hedge. We can convert lawn space into annual garden space. If we spend time watching television, a distraction from our living, we can devote time to growing a plant that will nurture our lives.

For folks that are ready to change their life to one living closer to the earth, we can create forest garden “Spaces of Love”. Anastasia recommends that each person who desires to create a new self sustaining life obtain 2.5 acres of land. On this land she recommends that we grow a vegetable garden, fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, have a pond, a flock of chickens, and half of the acreage covered in forest. This space is designed through contemplation and love and creates a legacy worthy of passing on to our children.

By working with nature and learning from our interaction with her, we can become self sustaining on this Space of Love. The more folks creating these spaces, the more healthy the human population, the soil, the water and the air will become. We can feel confident about the earth we leave behind as our children grow. We know they will be fed, have a place where they belong, and can benefit from what our generation learned. From there, our children can evolve and learn even more from their interaction with nature. In seven generations of learning and evolving, our descendants can live on a thriving healthy planet.

Right relationship with medicine Our current relationship with medicine results in continued or exacerbated illness. Much of our modern day medicine simply masks the symptoms or applies a superficial and temporary evasion of the true situation. Alopathic medicine treats symptoms, it does not heal the cause of illness. In the forest dwelling culture (known as Vedrus), food and energy are the sources of medicine. When a person creates a Space of Love, they create their own pharmacy. They have a unique relationship with the plants they are nurturing. This relationship allows the plants to bring to it’s gardener exactly what she/he needs. Research has demonstrated that plants respond to the energy and intent of the caretaker of the plant. If a person comes in with malicious intent to cut the plant, the plant will retract it’s energy. If a person comes in to nurture and nourish the plant, the plant exudes energy. Plants have shown that they can recognize a person by retracting from the person who previously had the malicious intent. When a person creates their own garden with the alchemy set forth by Anastasia, the plants respond to that person by creating exactly what that person needs for optimal health.

Anastasia has an alchemy for seed planting that she believes allows the plant to bring the best health possible to the person who plants it. She recommends that you stand in the soil barefoot, soak the seed under the tongue for 9 minutes. hold the seed between the palms for 30 seconds, breath out over the seed, hold it up to the cosmos, create a hole with your own fingers, put your own saliva in the hole, and stand barefoot upon the earth where it has been planted. She recommends that the seed be allowed to have the saliva as it’s only source of moisture for the first three days. These steps allow the seed to know the person planting it intimately. The seed learns what vitamins, minerals, enzymes are needed by the person planting it through these steps.

Medicine in the Vedrus culture is to walk into your Space of Love and gently pick and eat from a plant which you feel most attracted to at the moment.

To eat directly from your own garden, straight off the vine, branch, etc, is the most healthy source of food and medicine available.

Right Relationship with Children In the Vedrus culture, it is understood that children are the most aware and in-touch humans of all. Children are able to connect with a knowledge that far exceeds what can be taught through the mind.

Bringing a child into being is recognized as a sacred act that is done with complete awareness of the choice. A child is to be born into a Space of Love where all of the plants and animals will come to know and grow for the child’s highest health and well-being.

Children are to guide their own exploration and relationship with nature as the primary teacher. Others in the child’s life offer information by being an inspiring example of a healthy happy and fulfilled being. Adults encourage and support children’s contemplation and exploration without an agenda.

Paul and I envision that we will live a natural and healthy life with others that aspire to live as close to the earth as codes will allow in a Ringing Cedars of Russia inspired settlement. We aspire to reforest the planet, grow our own food, connect with the earth and our creator. We are part of a global evolutionary movement to bring health and well-being to ourselves and our descendants.